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155
VISION.
3,399 children were examined as regards their sight. Of this
number 2,250 or 66.2 per cent. had good vision, and 1,041 or 30.6 per
cent. were considered unsatisfactory in this respect, while the
remaining 108 could not read. Dr. Kerr's system of classifying
defective vision has been adopted, viz.:—Standards I. to V., vision
6/18 or less is considered unsatisfactory; Standard V. and over,
vision 6/12 or less is considered unsatisfactory.
CLEANLINESS.
Lice and nits in the hair of the head continue to give a good
deal of trouble. Children found to be in a verminous condition
are excluded from school, and when after several weeks' exclusion
there is no improvement in the child's condition we have latterly
adopted the plan of summoning the parents at the Stratford
Police Court for failing to send the child to school. This method
of dealing with obstinate parents is having good results, as they
always get fined by the Magistrate on the production of my
certificate stating the cause of the exclusion. In bad cases the
parents often get the child's hair cut when they find I will stand
no more nonsense, and in less severe cases work hard to get rid of
the nits by combing.
This rigorous dealing with such cases is, I think, having an
educational effect upon the parents; I do not so often hear, "Oh
yes, there are a few dead nits, but there is nothing alive in the
child's head, and it is perfectly clean." The teachers tell me that
they already see an improvement in the cleanliness of some of
the children. I should here like to point out that a great deal
can be done by the teachers, and is done by a great many of them,
in the way of enforcing cleanliness and tidiness. Many of them
have pointed out to me that the children are especially "cleaned
up" for the examination, and having once noted the improvement
on such occasion are able to refer constantly to it, and to point out
that as it can be attained to on one occasion it should be adopted
always.